Master Class: Dam Van Huynh 

Participants in the class are given opportunities to experience Dam Van Huynh’s vibrant and innovative working method which holds its fundamental ethos of harnessing strength from within movement flow, rather than imposed externally. The class is led through movement exploration from core principals of Eastern philosophy of energy flow, connecting dynamic movement from its origin, sensing internal music and focusing attention towards revealing individual personalities within the present moment. Participants are guided through a series of exercises which move through muscles and bones by creating channels for motion. The class yields a sensory awareness focusing on personal qualities.

Dam Van Huynh 
Originally from Southern Vietnam, Dam Van Huynh is a UK based dancer/choreographer. As a child refugee, his family and he fled Vietnam after the war and settled in the USA where Dam was raised. He founded his own company in 2008, Van Huynh Company. Dam was appointed Artistic Director of Centre 151 – a hub for culture, arts and community in the heart of East London in 2016. He is Associate Director of Dance Bridges Festival – biennial festival taking place in Kolkata, India.
His work is an implicit and ongoing attempt to synthesize the most dynamic and revolutionary aspects of the dual dynamic of his Vietnamese heritage and Western influences. In his latest touring productions, Dam redefines ownership of his story, calling out inequalities within society: Re:birth (2022), In Realness (2022); other works for his company include Đẹp (presented at 3:e Våningen in 2018), Under This Weight and, Gesundheit!
Dam graduated from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has worked as a performer with various companies and choreographers including The Nevada Ballet, Merce Cunningham, Portugal’s Companhia de Dança Contemporânea, Richard Alston, Phoenix Dance Theatre. As an award-winning choreographer, his works are performed internationally and include commissions from National Dance Company of Mexico (CEPRODAC), Unlock Dancing Plaza (Hong Kong), British Museum, Fóramen M. Ballet (Mexico). He was Artist-in-Residence at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA 2010-12), Associate Artist with Dance United (2012-14) and Head of Contemporary Dance at HKAPA (2019-23).

Photo credit: Thuan Lam Hieu